Pages

October 18, 2016

Fall season is here and we have yet to see a full day of fall weather. I live for crisp mornings, when I can go outside and cuddle up with a cup of coffee. Simply heaven.

Coffee [or hot cider] + baked goods are fall essentials! I love to bake. Especially during the fall and winter months. Did you know I operate a home-based baking business? Yes, I love it that much. I don't dedicate much time to it since I work full-time, but I still have my licensing...just in case! :)

As much as I love baking, I don't always have time to do so. When I fell upon this muffin recipe on Pinterest I knew it was something I needed to try. I mean really...2 ingredients? Nah, too good to be true, right? You guys. Let me tell you! These muffins are full of flavor and super moist!

October 7, 2016

I like to play around in the kitchen...try new recipes...flavors and such. While I am Hispanic, I don't tend to cook many traditional Hispanic meals. We do eat tacos and rice once a week though-we at least gotta have that, right?!

One of the recipes I sorta just put together the other day was this yummy pesto chicken served over some whole wheat noodles. It took maybe 20 minutes to make and we all loved it! Besides the pot I used for the noodles, only one skillet was used to prepare this meal. Less time spent washing dishes. Yes!

September 22, 2016

I've always been a fan of gently used and vintage items...whether it be clothes or furniture. I can absolutely spend hours at a local Goodwill, vintage shop, consignment sale and/or garage sale-ing. I once scored a vintage Gucci bag [without straps] for a couple bucks at a Goodwill...I use it as makeup bag now.

I have no problem wearing gently used clothing either. Especially, when it comes to M. We've taught him that it's not about having new clothes or new toys...we need to be thankful to have clothes and toys in general. If we're able to, M and I will garage sale shop on Saturday mornings. It's one of our favorite things to do. He's able to bring his own money from his piggy bank and choose what he wants. He once scored a San Antonio Spurs jersey for $1! He was so excited :)

M and bargain shopping go way back. Little does he know, he and I were shopping together when he was in my belly :) When I was preggo, I attended the Just Between Friends consignment event. It was one of my first consignment sales EVER. I loved it and learned so much!

Lucky for you JBF is holding a Fall event just a couple of weekends away!

September 9, 2016

A few weeks into the school year and we are finally getting into the swing of things. Again. I'm still trying to grasp the fact that we have a second grader. SECOND GRADER. Where did the time go?! I'm so proud of the little man he's becoming. We done good.

July 11, 2016

Before I became a mom I was a girlfriend, fiance, then wife. It is extremely easy to lose oneself after becoming a mom. It's even easier to forget that before your precious little one(s) it was just you and your significant other.

I admit that many times my poor Hubs comes last when it comes to my attention. I think it's very easy to think of your child first even before thinking of yourself. It's the mother inside of us. Ladies, let's not forget who we were with before our gorgeous kiddos!

The Hubs and I try to, at least, have a date night {or day date} once a month. In my opinion, it is important to maintain that intimacy and keep the fire burning in your relationship. Remember, when the kiddos leave home, it will just be you and HIM! Don't become strangers. Keep the excitement and butterflies alive!

It's hard for us to find a sitter for M, so a date night/day once or twice a month is ideal for us. You don't need to spend a whole lot either! *family on a budget here!! This past weekend M had a party and sleepover with his best bud. It allowed for the Hubs and I to spend time alone. Just him and I. It was utterly perfect.

After dropping him off...or more like walking him next door. {we're lucky enough that his best bud is also our next door neighbor} It was such a beautiful morning that we knew we wanted to do something outdoors...we decided for a morning run on Town Lake.

With little to nothing in our bellies we were pretty hungry after our run. We decided to make it a "try something new in Austin day". We knew we wanted to stay on the East side. Our first stop was brunch at The Hightower. I had the "soft cooked egg, avocado, potato, tomato, house queso fresco, chili/peanut salsa, yogurt" and paired it with a frozen caipirinha with ancho reyes chili- by far the best drink I had all day.

I have been loving these Flat Out Flatbreads. They are great for wraps and pizza...plus only 100 calories and 9g of protein! YAAS! My favorite way to use them is as a pizza crust. Flatbreads make a great lunch or dinner meal.

I usually do a pesto sauce with veggies and goat cheese {for me}...to die for! I'll add chicken for the Hubs and M's. This time I went a different route and tried my hand at a shrimp flatbread...so good!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. You can use a pizza pan or do like I did, line a cookie sheet with foil. Easy clean up!

I cooked the shrimp on the stove top until throughly cooked. I seasoned with ground pepper and a vegetable seasoning I had on hand. You can season to your liking.

I removed the tails after they were done cooking. I used about 6-7 medium shrimp per flatbread.

For the base I used 2 teaspoons of alfredo sauce. As for my toppings I used: a handful of baby spinach, green bell pepper and red onion. OH-don't forget the shrimp! Before popping in the oven I sprinkled shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until it's crispy.

Y'all. This is soooo good!

I love being able to use any toppings I'm craving and customizing to what others like or don't like. For anyone wondering...M ate the same thing, without the bell pepper and red onion that is. I added more shrimp to his since it didn't have the other veggies in it.

Let me know if you all try this. This is a great family meal that can also be prepared as a family! M loves to make his own pizza and add his toppings. Enjoy!!

May 10, 2016

As much as I love getting pampered and spoiled on Mother's Day...I get all the hugs and "love you mom" throughout the year and that's enough for me. Being able to say that I am a mom and knowing that my little guy is healthy is reason enough to be thankful.

We never really do anything extraordinary on Mother's Day so it really was no different than any other day. The Hubs and I don't get each other extravagant gifts either...we have everything we need and prefer adventure memories over material items. However, this year I was given a new...drumroll... camera! Y'all I have been wanting this camera for ages. It definitely wasn't something I was expecting to receive either.

New camera = vlogs! I cannot wait to start and connect with you all a bit more this way. I will be vlogging mainly on the weekends, starting on Friday afternoons. You'll get a little extra glimpse into our daily life and a look into our silly adventures.

The first video will be LIVE this coming Monday, a week from today. Be sure to subscribe to stay up do date! You can find my YouTube channel here.

Leave a comment on what kind of videos you would like to see...whether it's family related, product reviews, beauty, fashion, mommy/son hauls...you name it!

April 29, 2016

I know I've been absent for a little over a month...and it's been everything but relaxing! Our big road trip adventure came and went. It was such a blast! The views were amazing and the memories we made will be forever. It was such an awesome experience.

If you would like to see a recap of our adventures check out the husbands YouTube Channel. Subscribe to his channel to stay updated on our current family adventures :)

The day before we left for our trip I had a health dilemma that caused me to pay the ER a visit. I have always had gastric issues and years ago I was diagnosed with gastritis. Every now and then I get flareups, which cause me to monitor what I eat pretty closely. Stomach/gastric pain is no joke. It can last for hours and even up to a few days, for me anyway. The pain that I felt last month was completely different. Anyhoo-long story short, the doc said I have gall stones. DEAR GOD!

Luckily, I don't need to do anything as of yet. But if pain were to arise again or worsen, I will more than likely opt to get my gallbladder removed.

The past few months I have had horrible gastric reflux and mild gastric pain, especially in the evenings. All of these issues have led me to look into a vegetarian diet. I still have a lot to learn and research but I believe I'm on the right path. Currently, I have eliminated meat from my diet and it has helped tremendously! I am still eating poultry and/or fish about 3 times a week. I want to eventually eliminate those from my diet as well.

I'm hoping to bring you all along with me during this new lifestyle of mine. If any of you are living a vegetarian lifestyle I would love to hear how you adapted to it, any recommended reading material and recipes you would like to share too!

March 7, 2016

I am absolutely loving the warm weather we've been having. However, as much as I am enjoying it, I'm a little frightened to what the summer season will bring. YIKES! In the meantime, I'll take this 80 degree weather and bask in the sunshine!

We tried something new this weekend. Crawfish. Now, I've had crawfish before but not the "twist-pop off-the-head" kind. My prior crawfish experiences were nicely placed in my jambalaya. All ready to eat. Still...I was looking forward to crack open some shells!

This boil has been on the books for a few weeks now. It was at a local brewery, Independence Brewing Co., located in south Austin. It was our first time going to this brewery as well. Bonus: it is family friendly...dog included! :)

We each got couple of pounds of crawfish...each pound included corn and a potato {my favorite}. They also had beer and water.

We weren't too sure if M was going to like the crawfish. He started off with eating corn and then after seeing everyone dig into the crawfish he decided to try it...and loved it! He loves fish, shrimp and other seafood so I knew he would like this as well. {he even tried shark while we were in Puerto Rico last year}

silly boy

We had such a great time. It was a hot spring day with just enough breeze...perfect for the boil. We will definitely be going back to check out the brewery...when there isn't such a large crowd.

It's crawfish season! Have you been to a boil or had one of your own? What do you like to season yours with? Let me know in the comments below!

March 4, 2016

This past week has been pretty busy for us...getting last minute things locked down and taken care of before our Spring Break trip. We don't want to have food spoil in the fridge while we're gone so it's been minimal cooking for me. I'm not complaining!

These are just a few of our favorites from this past week.

Tuna with Corn

{we ate this on a tostada with sour cream and topped it off with salsa-its a quick, yummy meal. 4 cans of tuna, 2 eggs, 1 can of corn, pepper to taste}

March 3, 2016

I'm sorry if I've been absent these past few days...I sort of had a creative fall out. I'm trying to figure out how to grow the blog and keep my content "mom/family" friendly without bombarding with posts on reviews and ads. The last thing I want is for this blog to become full of meaningless reviews. Speaking of reviews...what do you think about review type posts? Love or hate? Let me know in the comments below!

I figured since March is a new month why not start fresh! Let's get the ball, our in this case-keyboard, rolling! One of my goals this year, for this blog, is to write and post regularly. I have so many ideas that I'm wanting to share so stay tuned! :)

I see a lot of "mom must haves" geared towards 'new moms' or 'moms with toddlers'. What about us momma's...with the post-toddler kiddos?

I've teamed up with Cindy from Cindy Luv on YouTube. We each have one kiddo, while her's is younger {and a girl} we bring to you our "mommy must haves". I've picked out '6 must haves for moms on the go'-keep reading to see what I can't live without while on the go!

1. crock-pot : set it and forget it, honey! I can't tell you how much I love my crock-pot. It's the perfect kitchen gadget. I was gifted a programmable one during the holidays and have never looked back. Such a lifesaver!! It is used regularly in our home, especially for those busy days full of soccer games and errands...set it in the morning/day and come home to a warm cooked meal in the afternoon/evening. YAAAS!

2. battery charger : I, usually, always carry a portable phone charger in my purse. A single charger. The Hubs then went off to buy this amazing charger with multiple ports. Genius! I'm so glad we have this now. We can charge our phones and iPod {M's anyway} while we're out and about. This comes quite in handy when your little one thinks the surroundings are 'lame'...eye roll. Sometimes you just gotta give in and hand over the iPod. {sigh}

3. tote : I love a large, versatile bag. These reversible totes are everything! The Hubs gave me one a couple birthdays ago and it's still holding on strong! It comes with a wristlet that you can detach for quick carrying too. It's big enough to carry everything from my wallet to snacks for M to my daily planner.

4. planner : I am super picky when it comes to my planner. It took a few weeks, maybe months, of searching before I narrowed it down to the Plum Paper Planner. The price is great compared to other similar lifestyle planners {starting at $31}. You can customize these with over 50 covers, different layouts and you choose when you want your planner to begin. That was my selling point. My current one ends in May so I'll be ordering another soon, without having missed a beat. I cannot live without mine!

6. Amazon Prime : we had debated for months on whether it was worth it. Let me tell you! Amazon Prime is worth it and then some. We have placed so many orders that with shipping alone it's paid for itself. The savings are excellent! There's also an app that you can download on your phone/iPad/Tablet called Prime Now {limited to certain areas}. You can order certain items and have them delivered to your door in a matter of hours! Super convenient! Best of all-it's included in your Prime membership! I've used this service on several occasion for purchasing dog food for our pup. The last thing I want to do after work is run to the pet store. With Prime Now, I can order it in the morning and by the time I get home, it's waiting for me at the front door. Easy Peasy. I use this for birthday gifts too-beats having to tackle the toy aisle! You can try Amazon Prime right now for FREE with a 30-day trial!

What do you use or have that makes life just a tad easier? Let me know in the comments! *don't forget to check our Cindy's YouTube channel-she talks about beauty, lifestyle and everything in between.

XO

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive
a payment if you make a qualifying purchase using the link(s) provided.

February 19, 2016

Menu-planning. Such a love hate relationship. I get on track and then it's so easy to fall off.

This past week and a half I planned out our meals, made my grocery list and stuck to my plan. So far so good! I love trying new things and attempting a new recipe is always fun. I can follow a recipe like nobody's business!

For this weeks meal plan I consulted SkinnyTaste for of our dinner options. Gina has such amazingly easy and full of flavor recipes on her site. I love that the recipes include nutritional facts and WW Points as well. The SkinnyTaste Cookbook has been on my wish-list for some time now. I keep hoping the Hubs will gift it to me on one of these special occasions...I may just have to go ahead and purchase it on my own.

These recipes were a hit with everyone! M asked for seconds and I got the approval from the Hubs. Yay for me!!

My favorite was the Carne Guisada...so much flavor! We paired it with a simple mexican rice...I think next time I'll serve it over white rice. So yummy! M's favorite was the Korean Chicken. He loves edamame and "asian" inspired meals. The Hubs leaned towards the Carne Guisada as well.

I hope you get to try some of these easy and delicious meals. They will now be on rotation at our dinner table. If you've tried some of these already, I'd love to hear what your thoughts were on them!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a payment if you make a qualifying purchase using the link(s) provided.

February 16, 2016

I hope you all were able to spend this Valentine's Day weekend with your loved ones. Although we don't celebrate the lovely 'holiday' with gifts we made it a point to be together...with fun family activites!

Saturday.

I took M on our mom and son date. The Hubs worked until 5pm so I had M all to myself :) We started off the morning by going to Cafe Java in Round Rock, TX. If you live anywhere near the Austin and surrounding area, this is a must for breakfast! M always gets the kiddie pancakes {pancake, eggs, bacon}. Their pancakes are amazing! Melt-in-your-mouth good!!

It just so happened that our local Lowe's had a special Valentine's workshop on Saturday. We headed over after our breakfast and got to building.

Love our frame!

M wanted to go to Barnes and Noble to play on the Lego and train tables. We picked up a couple of books while we were there, too.

It was such a gorgeous day that the park was calling for us! Luckily, we have a park in our neighborhood so we stopped by for a bit before heading home.

Sunday.

Happy Valentine's Day from the Castelo's!

One year, while the Hubs and I were still dating, he surprised me with a hike on Valentine's Day. He, very sneakingly, found out my shoe and clothing size...and surprised me with workout gear. With a blindfold on he took me to Mount Bonnell. It was amazing! This year we thought it would be fun to do the same, hiking that is, with our little family :)

We spent our morning with a hike on the Barton Creek Greenbelt. It was a cool breezy morning and perfect for a hike. We took advantage to test out our new hiking boots, too! If you are in the market for hiking footwear I completely recommend the Vasque Boots. The Hubs and I each have a pair, while M wears the Hi-Tec Boot.

Of course, we were starving after our hike. We decided to get brunch at Banger's on Rainey St. Although we've been there plenty of times during nightlife, it was our first time going for brunch. It will definitely be a place we frequent during the day. They have a small dog run where you can leave your pup while you eat/drink, Lola loved interacting with all the other pups.

Our evening was uneventful. We were exhausted from our adventures earlier in the day. Naps and movies were on the schedule :) We ordered in and watched Goosebumps.

This Valentine's was one of the best! Spending it with my little family was all I wanted. Do you celebrate this sweet day? Any special traditions? I think we're going to make our "morning hike" a Valentine's tradition :) xoxo

February 12, 2016

I was super excited when I was asked to write a review on none other than Pokemon cards! I remember watching the cartoons and playing the game as a child...I now get to share that with M. Gotta catch'em all!!!

We've been bombarded with all things Pokemon for over a year now...M's 6th birthday featured Pikachu amongst other Pokemon characters. Needless to say, we have definitely started quite a collection of cards.

These cards from Golden GroundHog are great! The pack we received was the 30 Pokemon Card Pack Lot. It guaranteed a Mew card and either an EX, Lv. X or a rare. The packaging could be better but I guess as long as they aren't damaged in shipping, all is well. {they come neatly packed in a clear plastic bag}

First thing M looked for was if we had recieved an EX...which we did! It was a Kangaskhan EX 180. M was ecstatic! He was also pretty excited about the Mew card. I like that there were no duplicate cards in the pack. We have so many duplicate cards already that we need to swap or donate some...do kids do that? Hmmm...I'll have to ask M.

M's cards are stored in a binder I had lying around. Nothing crazy...just your regular 3-ring binder. Ours doesn't have a zipper BUT I completely recommend a zipper binder so cards to fall out if carried in the wrong direction...trust me...I know.

To hold the cards we use baseball card inserts. They hold the cards perfectly and are inexpensive to purchase.

Is your little one a Pokemon fan? M's favorite character is Pikachu...leave yours or your little one's in the comments!

Disclaimer: I received this product at a highly discounted price or for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive compensation if you make a qualifying purchase.

February 11, 2016

I have completely lost track of time and am just {this week} realizing that Valentine's Day is this weekend! Ahh!! Get ready for the crowds this weekend!

We don't necessarily celebrate Valentine's Day. If we do anything it's usually a family affair. A fun day planned that we can all enjoy. And I love it!!

The Hubs works this weekend which means that Saturday will be a fun filled day with just M and me. I love those moments...our mommy and son dates. They fill my heart with so much joy...I also can't believe how big my "little" boy has gotten {sigh}.

I have a few things already planned for our mom and son date. Starting with a yummy breakfast at M's favorite breakfast restaurant. Can't wait...it so happens to be a favorite of mine as well :)

I've made a list of some of our favorite things to do...all budget friendly! Even better, right?! Whether you're looking for a fun family day or ideas for your very own mommy son/daughter date.

2. go to the park | the park is always a favorite! Try going to one you haven't yet been to. Take turns pushing each other on the swings...this always gets a laugh out of M.

3. breakfast | make breakfast together or go out to your favorite breakfast restaurant. Great way to start off your day!

4. baking | we love to bake! Especially cookies and muffins. Gather your cookies cutters or muffins tins, put on those aprons and get to baking!!

5. take a bike ride | put on those helmets and get on your bike! No need to drive anywhere either...bike around your neighborhood or if you're close enough, bike to the park!

6. coffee and Legos | Starbucks is great to sit, relax with a coffee drink for you, hot chocolate for the little one and Legos! Building something together is a great way to bond.

7. fly a kite | go to your nearest park or your backyard, if you have space. Fun shaped kites are so much fun! This one is a favorite of ours.

8. go miniature golfing | we love putt putt! M is actually pretty good...he loves being able to pick out his own colored gulf ball.

9. have a picnic | make some pb & j's, head outdoors and have a picnic! Don't forget to pack your picnic blanket!!

10. chalk art | pull the cars out of the drive-way and chalk it up! You can buy chalk for cheap at the dollar store too.

11. visit a museum | have a children's museum or history museum near you? Pay it a visit. Sometimes they have special "last hour" deals that you can take advantage of.

12. get ice cream | go get ice cream with your little one. They will enjoy having to pick out their flavor and adding sprinkles :)

13. go to a bookstore | pick out a few new reads at the bookstore. Barnes and Noble has many events throughout the month for you to attend. Check your nearest location for details.

14. participate in a building workshop | we {M and I} are crafters at heart. Did you know Lowe's and Home Depot offer free building workshops for kiddos? Check your local store for more info!

15. paint | again with our craftiness...paint on canvas! Perfect for decorating any room or gifting to grandparents!

We will be attending a building workshop, taking a trip to the park, having a picnic and going to a museum on our date. Hopefully, we are able to get some coffee and Lego building in between all that. What is your favorite mommy and son/daughter date activity?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a payment if you make a qualifying purchase using the link(s) provided.

February 7, 2016

This weekend was a little "farewell" to our last free Saturday's. We'll be starting soccer season with M soon so soccer games will take up most, if not all, of our Saturday mornings and/or afternoons. Yes, I am that soccer mom. I love it though...wouldn't have it any other way!

We decided to go on a little camping weekend with friends. Oh what fun we had! Many memories made and stories to tell.

Castelo Family

I always try to take as many pictures as I can when we go on trips. Photos are such a great way to reminisce on memories and have a few laughs remembering great times we had. Of course, we don't always travel with others so there are many times we have to ask random people to take our picture. The Hubs hates when I ask others to do that. I get it, why bother others to take our picture. That's where a selfie stick comes into play!

Size: it's super compact! It's 5.5 inches when it's folded...which makes it great for carrying in a backpack and small enough to fit in a purse when going out. It extends to 29.5 inches for the perfect selfie pictures!

Storage: comes with a small black drawstring bag for easy storage.

LED light: it comes with LED lights for dim/night photos! This is exactly what I was looking for in a selfie stick. The LED lights have 3 light settings and an autoflash option.

Audio Jack: comes with an audio jack rather than bluetooth pairing. In my opinion this is better than bluetooth. No need to pair it to your phone and have to worry about connectivity.

Cons:

Directions: could be nicer. They come in a printed piece of paper. Easy to read though just not very 'professional' looking.

Charging Cord: the cord it comes with doesn't work. At least mine didn't. It's also very small. It's charges with a micro usb cord so it's easy to purchase one that works. We have a bunch laying around from other devices and they charged it with no issue.

using the selfie stick

selfie with the LED setting on 2 brightness

All in all, I really like this selfie stick. I think it will definitely come in handy when we are traveling on our own or out with a group of friends. Great for day and night time selfies. Check it out for yourself and let me know if you end up purchasing-definitely a great buy!

**Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

January 27, 2016

I am constantly looking for fashionable, classic pieces that are affordable. During the week you can mainly find me in scrubs {I work full-time in the medical field} and when I come home I can more than likely be found in tees and leggings.

In the upcoming months, you will find me at soccer practices and games for M. Needless to say, my weekend attire is easy and comfortable. No heels for me at the soccer fields!

I've put together some easy, affordable and versatile looks for all of you busy ladies. These looks are great for sporting events, running errands, or simple yet put together looks during the day...some can even be sprused up for evening/date nights.

What is your favorite look? Mine has to be the one from H&M. Those loafers are calling my name! I'm loving that terracotta colored cardigan from Old Navy too. I just love long and oversized cardigans!!